Tag: Costa Rica

Lynda and I want to update you on the tours on which we still have space for 2016, and give you some preliminary information on our 2017 plans.

On April 7, we are leaving with a group of fellow travelers to explore the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. After a summer break we will be on tour in Spain and Portugal, September 15 – 29. That tour is full but we are accepting people on the waitlist.

During October 17 – 22, we will be in New York City. I lived on Long Island for four years and traveled to the City regularly to see plays, visit museums, and just wander. Since moving away from Long Island, there have been almost yearly trips to the City and sometimes more. Lynda and I love NYC, and we put together a tour showing you some of the main sites– but also some places not generally included in other tours.

We will start the tour by crossing the George Washington Bridge and taking you into Washington Heights to visit Fort Tyrone Park for a great view of the New Jersey Palisades and the GW Bridge. You will also see the point where the Hudson River splits, creating the East River. Afterwards we will see some highlights in Harlem, stroll through Central Park, visit the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and eat dinner at Sylvia’s– one of Harlem’s most famous soul food restaurants. The following day will include a walk through High Line Park, once an elevated train route along the west side of Manhattan. That same day we will spend time in Chelsea, SoHo, and Chinatown, and we’ll enjoy dinner in Little Italy.

Another day will be spent in mid-town Manhattan where you will see St Patrick’s Cathedral, Rockefeller Plaza, Fifth Avenue, Grand Central Station, NYC Library and Bryant Park. We will take a break in the afternoon to take in a Broadway show and end our evening with dinner at the Carnegie Deli, across from Carnegie Hall. We will also spend a day in lower Manhattan to walk part of the Brooklyn Bridge, visit the St. Paul’s Chapel, the 9/11 Memorial site; Trinity Church, Federal Hall where George Washington was sworn in as our first President, Wall Street, and Battery Park for a great view of the Statue of Liberty.

After dinner on your own we will attend another Broadway show. Our last full day in the City will be a special treat. My friend, Daniel Meeter, pastor of Old First Dutch Reformed Church in Brooklyn, will join us for a tour of some Brooklyn neighborhoods. Our evening will end with a dinner cruise on the Hudson and East Rivers; the ship will also pass closely by the Statue of Liberty. You will have a free morning on the day we are scheduled to fly home.

There has been a lot of attention in the news about Cuba. I am hosting a Cuba tour November 1 – 9 which still has space for ten persons. Besides spending time in Havana, we will explore the lush botanical province of Pinar del Rio, the World Heritage city of Trinidad, and the colonial city of Cienfuegos. This tour will be repeated November 8 – 16, which both Lynda and I will host. That tour is almost sold out, but we are accepting waitlist applications.

Our tentative plans for 2017 include a tour of Costa Rica during late January into early February, which we will both host. This will be my sixth tour of Costa Rica; it is one of the most beautiful places in the world! We are also finalizing the details for a cruise (February 25 – March 8) which will begin and end in Fort Lauderdale, and will include stops in Aruba, Grand Cayman, beautiful Cartagena in Columbia, and Costa Rica. We will even travel through part of the Panama Canal to Colon, Panama, and will come through the same section of the canal on our return.

During September, we will be doing a Southern Italy tour focusing on Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, Naples, Pompeii, and possibly Rome. Our final adventure will be to Australia during the first half of November.

Let me know if any of these trips interest you, and I will send you more detailed information as it becomes available. And we always appreciate it if you share this information with others!

Sincerely,

Johannes and Lynda Witte

(616) 304-0504*protected email*

Passionate about expanding their own horizons and those of others, Johannes (John) and Lynda Witte have been leading tour groups to destinations in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia since 1985. John and Lynda’s knowledge and experience have earned them a reputation as top-notch tour leaders, and group members appreciate the way they cater to each individual’s needs and interests. They especially enjoy leading small groups.